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Understanding social-ecological systems (SESs) is an important part of ecosystem-based management (EBM). One of the main decision support frameworks to develop scientific advice for EBM is integrated ecosystem assessments (IEAs). Human dimensions in SESs are primarily captured through indicators derived from three social sciences: economics, anthropology, and sociology. The breadth of social sciences and humanities (SSH) research is much greater than those three fields, but they are generally underused in natural science-based decision support processes such as IEAs. Greater contributions of SSHs can enhance IEAs through various direct (e.g. to develop indicators) and indirect ways (e.g. to establish and maintain ethical practices). We examine a wider range of SSH disciplines and conclude that scientific advice processes that inform EBM can benefit from broader integration of SSH theories and methods through themes of contextualizing, facilitating, communicating, evaluating, and anticipating. We see this an opportunity to both widen the vocabulary used to describe social scientists and those who work in humanities in IEAs, and apply the underlying worldviews used to conduct SSH research to fundamentally enhance the IEA process and to further progress in EBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a methodology to analyze the Greek amphora epigraphy produced during the Roman Empire in its eastern part. The detailed information that appears as an abbreviated form in thousands of inscriptions distributed throughout the Roman territory is an essential element to under- stand the imperial socio-economic dynamics. Here we present a guide to using the Roman Open Data exploratory interface in its Greek text search section, and how, based on cases, we can determine for the first time the possible existence of a complex system of productions whose contracts would even be monthly. The relational search system makes this interface the only one that allows the user to singularize their searches, granulating them based on their experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though benefiting from a high potential, agriculture in Democratic Republic of Congo only reaches low performances and yields. In South-Kivu, small scale family farms are frequently scattered due to inheritance systems that give a share to all children. So, land becomes a scarce resource in a densely populated area. The socioeconomic and political elites benefit from this situation and accumulate land resources, while the churches are the heirs of former colonial concessions. Unfortunately, the land belonging to the large landowners is not valorized; it is often hired to small-scale farmers with less than 0.5 ha. These farmers use low quantities of inputs and are oriented towards subsistence agriculture. To valorize the high agricultural potential of this area, the solution is perhaps not a land reform and the distribution of plots to small-scale farmers, but to make agriculture more profitable and a wealth producer for the whole community. To do so, the archdiocese certainly has a role to play. The vision of religious authorities is that the priests should be real entrepreneurs and support all local initiatives which could be profitable for large groups of citizens. During workshops organized in 2021, people in charge of the parishes reported the agricultural activities which are already organized and the new opportunities they identified, proving that a bottomup peasant movement could enhance rural development. Future agricultural practices should lead to sustainable agriculture, with high yields and better income for the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the cost efficiency of catfish production under different systems in Delta State, Nigeria. Primary data collected from 360 catfish farmers (comprising 121 concrete pond, 99 earthen pond and 140 plastic/tarpaulin pond systems) provided useful information for the data analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents. The stochastic cost frontier (SCF) approach was employed in analyzing the effi- ciency indices and their determinants. The results showed that the respondents were male dominated (64.44%), young and active, with the majority below 48 years of age. The majority of the respondents (76.67%) had a form of education that could boost their managerial abilities for catfish production. About 67.50% farmers were working full-time and 38.89% of them adopted the plastic/tarpaulin pond method because of ease of management. The average catfish weight produced was 1.50kg, and the average price per kg of mature catfish sold was NGN ₦ 722.77, with an average cost efficiency of 0.70. The study concludes that catfish production under different production systems is a cost efficient and economically viable venture, with the earthen pond method the most cost ef- ficient (0.72). The study therefore recommends that the causes of inefficiencies should be considered and addressed so as to enhance the efficiency of catfish farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While entrepreneurship has been extensively studied worldwide, scant empirical research evidence has been found in Vietnam. Building upon the institutional economics perspective, this study empirically investigates the tripartite relationship between formal institutions, entrepreneurial activity, and socio-economic outcomes. A fixed effects model is employed to test the proposed hypotheses using a 5-year strong balanced panel data. The findings indicate that provinces are heterogeneous along multiple dimensions of institutional quality, leading to different entrepreneurial rates. Concurrently, it highlights the vital role of entrepreneurial activity in explaining the differences in economic performance, unemployment rate, and living standards across Vietnam's regions. The results also confirm that the entrepreneurial rate exerts a mediating effect on the relationship between institutional quality and socio-economic outcomes. This study contributes to the entrepreneurial literature in Vietnam and provides practical implications for Vietnamese policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement in early childhood education significantly impacts children's academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Extensive research indicates that parental involvement plays a more influential role in a child's academic success compared to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or educational background. However, a noticeable gap exists between the desired and actual levels of parental involvement, often attributed to identifiable barriers. This study aims to delineate these obstacles and proposes cost-effective, actionable steps to overcome them. We introduce specific strategies that enhance the homeschool partnership and recommend that schools actively teach and promote these activities. These practices highlight the dual importance of parental support for school-based learning and school support for home-based activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the legal discrimination faced by children with unmarried same-sex parents, particularly in the U.S. It highlights how these children are denied a legally recognized parent-child relationship with both of their parents due to existing laws and regulations. It also explores the racial and socioeconomic disparities exacerbated by these legal barriers, as well as the real-world implications for the well-being and security of these children.

In this study, we report the first occurrence of Callinectes sapidus in the rivers of 'Oued Tani' (Martil) and 'Oued Negro' (Fnideq), based on 127 individuals of the blue crab caught from November 2022 to August 2023. Additionally, we were able to determine the potential consequences of C. sapidus on the indigenous species as well as the socioeconomic implications on artisanal fisheries activities. This research highlights further data that reinforces recent findings on recorded blue crab from various locations along the Moroccan coastline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the transition to energy autonomy on eight geographical island's local economies, through maximising renewable energy generation and storage, is assessed. The different sectors and activities that impact employment and income generation in the local economies of each of the islands are identified. An empirical assessment approach based on the Keynesian Income Multiplier (KIM) is developed and applied using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data for AHP was collated through interviews with local experts and stakeholders on each island. Gender, employment, and wage data was used to calculate the impact of renewable energy system (RES) autonomy on male and female waged employment within the islands' economic sectors. The analysis conducted showed that the induced local economic impact per unit of electrical energy due to the proposed RES autonomy in all sectors for male waged employment for all islands, exceeds its unit cost or Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE). For female waged employment, the profits from per unit of electrical energy generated exceeded the LCOE for the tourism sectors of La Graciosa, Aran Islands, Majorca and three other sectors in Gotland (health & social work, services, and education). The local economic impact from decarbonisation and 100% energy autonomy is significantly influenced by how the income from this renewable energy is recirculated within the island's economic sectors, especially tourism. The findings suggest that strategies for community ownership and training local people to manage renewable energy facilities is necessary to maximise the benefits of the transition to energy autonomy on local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses various challenges for agriculture and water management practices in Central Asia (CA). Central to these challenges are cryosphere dynamics, fragile mountain ecosystems, and ongoing natural hazards that highlight the need for robust projections of regional climate change. For the first time, dynamic downscaling was conducted in Central Asia at a spatial resolution of 5 km. This produced a regional dataset that incorporated periods between 1980 and 2000 and 2076 to 2096. Results show that dynamic downscaling significantly improves the simulation of temperature and precipitation across CA compared to General Circulation Models (GCMs) and other Regional Climate Models (RCMs) due to better representation of topography and related meteorological fields. Our analysis shows that there will be a significant warming trend in Central Asia with a projected increase of 6°C under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenario SSP5-8.5 from 2076 to 2096. Pronounced warming is detected over mountainous areas of CA from autumn to spring, which can be explained by the snow-albedo feedback. Precipitation increases are projected from winter to spring and decreases are projected from summer to autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the ongoing socio-economic disparities and legal challenges faced by Māori in Aotearoa (New Zealand), including health inequities, land rights issues exacerbated by climate change, and the impact of recent political shifts. It covers the effects of the conservative coalition government's policies on Māori rights and the struggles for land and cultural preservation, such as those highlighted by the Waitangi Tribunal's findings and the repercussions of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Under what conditions do secessionist parties advance identity, socioeconomic or political frames for constitutional change? By performing a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of 93 party manifestos from six Western regions, the results identify a key variable that plays an important role in rhetorical strategies: the governmental status of the party. In linguistically distinctive regions, parties tend to put forward identity frames when in opposition. Instead, being in office is a condition for framing their position in socioeconomic terms. The results concerning political frames are highly complex, although patterns around office holding have also been identified. Hence, the present article shows that office-seeking strategies imply a fundamental change in how these parties frame their claims. Minority nationalist parties take the opportunity of being in office to enhance their credibility as governing parties by downplaying identity issues in favour of a more inclusive and policy-oriented appeal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of escalating global climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme heat events, the mitigation of building overheating has become an urgent priority. This comprehensive review converges insights from building science and public health domains to offer a thorough understanding of the multifaceted impacts of indoor overheating on occupants. The paper addresses a significant research gap by offering a holistic exploration of indoor overheating of residential buildings and its consequences, with a specific focus on the United States, an economically diverse nation that has been underrepresented in the literature. The review illuminates the effects of overheating on thermal comfort, health, and socio-economic aspects within the built environment. It emphasizes associated repercussions, including heightened cooling energy consumption, increased peak electricity demand, and elevated vulnerability, leading to exacerbated heat-related mortality and morbidity rates, especially among disadvantaged groups. The study concludes that vulnerabilities to these impacts are intricately tied to regional climatic conditions, highlighting the inadequacy of a one-size-fits-all approach. Tailored interventions for each climate zone are deemed necessary, considering the consistent occurrence of indoor temperatures surpassing outdoor levels, known as superheating, which poses distinct challenges. The research underscores the urgency of addressing indoor overheating as a critical facet of public health, acknowledging direct socioeconomic repercussions. It advocates for further research to inform comprehensive policies that safeguard public health across diverse indoor environments.

Global population aging has become an issue nowadays, which will eventually lead to a huge senior care market in the future. In this article, a senior care ecosystem, named AīCare, was proposed to revolutionize the future senior care industry. The AīCare senior care ecosystem combined exponential technologies, such as IoT, cloud computing, and AI, to deliver affordable, reliable, and intelligent senior care services and products, which aims to amplify the efficacy of current systems and contributes significantly towards the evolution of senior care, ultimately augmenting the quality-of-care provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the growth and development of the journal Social Sciences in its first ten years, with a particular focus on the year 2023. The journal aims to appeal to a wide interdisciplinary audience and covers various fields such as anthropology, criminology, geography, history, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology, and more. In 2023, the visibility of the journal increased significantly, with authors from 65 countries contributing to its publications. The journal also received its first Impact Factor and sponsored several conferences. Looking ahead to 2024, the journal aims to continue its progress and improve its impact factor. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the learning that reading by listening requires from readers with print disabilities. Method. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students with blindness or vision impairment in Australia. Analysis. A theoretical reading of the interview material was conducted, with a basis in sociocultural learning theory. Results. The responsibility for learning to use audio-based reading tools was often left to the participants themselves. The process of appropriating audio-based reading tools included two important aspects: digital literacy and learning to manage the sequentiality of audio text. This process was related to trajectories of participation in academic communities of practice, English-speaking communities of practice, and blindness and visual impairments communities of practice. It also included learning to participate in practices where vision and reading by seeing is the norm. Conclusion. Three conclusions are drawn: 1) reading by listening is not a passive and effortless activity, it requires specific expertise, 2) socio-economic and socio-political circumstances influence how reading by listening is practiced and the learning that this form of reading requires, and 3) reading by listening requires learning how to navigate and manage the effects of institutions and systems that are disabling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economists have played a powerful role in shaping modern Australia. Drawing on my experience as an academic economist and an economic policymaker, I outline ten principles to guide economists seeking to maximise their impact. These are to (i) Focus on well‐being, not just dollars; (ii) Think comparative advantage; (iii) Ignore sunk costs; (iv) Optimise, subject to constraints; (v) Use the best evidence; (vi) Consider expected value; (vii) Think in magnitudes, not just in signs; (viii) Channel a libertarian; (ix) Remember equity; and (x) Incentives matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]